Around the League

Around the League: Thoughts from the Mind of an Avid Baseball Guy

By Mike Carreiro

How are we doing Top Fan Rivalry! It’s been that crazy time of the summer with travel and outdoor activities that finding the time to write has been tough. But I’m glad to be back in the Locker Room and giving you all my opinions on what I see going on in baseball.

I’m going to write about one of baseball’s hottest teams today. Break down some of their recent play and as always throw out those crazy stats we have seen. It will also make it easy to objectively brag about this team, because it’s my team, the Boston Red Sox.

Over the last 2 1/2 (to date) series the Red Sox are 6-2. And it hasn’t been an easy road of late either. After somehow splitting the series with the White Sox in Chicago, Boston welcomed the two best teams in baseball, the Phillies and the Yankees. Through sheer will power and determination the seemingly lowly Red Sox managed to out dual both teams taking each series 2-1.

How is this group of players who most (even in Boston) have never heard of putting together such an impressive stretch of baseball? Here’s a couple possible answers:

Contract Year

They say that players tend to put together their most impressive season’s when they are playing for that next contract. There is a major contributor to this team that is in such a situation, but they aren’t on the field.

Red Sox Manager Alex Cora is currently a lame duck manager. He is a free agent after this season, and what better way to prove your worth to any potential suitors then taking a team that was projected to finish in the bottom of their division and lead them to an unexpected playoff run. It could happen!

It also doesn’t hurt that Alex Cora is considered one of the games best ‘players managers’ in the game. The Red Sox on the field are responding and buying in to whatever it is that Alex Cora is selling and they are creating something special behind his leadership.

A Team That Stays Together, Plays Together

This Red Sox team really seems to be a unit, all moving in the same direction, with the same goal. A team that was seemingly made up of scrap heap and young unproven players has somehow banded together to create a hard nosed, tough team.

One of the things I’ve noticed this season with the Red Sox is they are like a pitbull once they have a lead. There have been very few games this season where the Red Sox have relinquished any type of lead. The pitching staff from top to bottom has really locked it down once they have the lead. Red Sox pitching is in the top 10 (#6) in ERA this season with a 3.45 ERA and the bullpen has been electric, especially recently, and a once disgruntled closer, Kenley Jansen, has been lights out lately. Even demanding multi-inning save opportunities.

Consistency is the Key

During early episodes of Unraveling the Red Sox, I cited a key to success this season for the Red Sox is consistency in the lineup. This finally seems to be coming into focus. During the Phillies, Yankees and now the Blue Jays series we haven’t seen a rotating lineup. This allows the players to know what to expect when they show up and a peace of mind leading up to each game.

Table setters like Jarren Durran and the (re)emerging David Hamilton are getting on base and justifying the old adage of a walk being as good as a hit by turning free passes into doubles at an alarming rate! It also doesn’t hurt they are both hitting the ball all over the place. The Middle of the Order is stout. Devers, O’Neil provide the pop and the pillar of consistency Connor Wong leads the team in average. Yoshida is gearing back up after an early injury and Dom Smith and Manu Valdez do what they can, but always make the opposing pitcher work for the out. Lastly, Ceddane Rafaela has been heating up at the plate and helps to reset that table back to the top. The lineup is set, it is good and there are no easy outs, especially once Tristan Casas returns in place of Smith. 

This team is fun. They keep the games interesting and entertaining, and watching a team that wasn’t expected to perform at the level they are, makes them super likable. You want this team to win. You want to see this team perform. We will see how the next few weeks play out, but if they can weather the tempest of the Phillies and Yankees, emerging relatively unscathed, then there should be no lack of confidence in the rest of the season!

Let’s enjoy this ride with the Red Sox Top Fan Team and if you’re not a Red Sox fan, don’t underestimate them when they are in your city!